Soon, a tribunal for all inter-state water disputes

NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet could soon approve a law to establish a single national tribunal to adjudicate water disputes between states, two people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

The tribunal, the Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal, will replace all existing tribunals on water disputes, and its orders, which will have to be issued within four-and-a-half years, will be binding on the parties involved in the dispute — both moves that will deal with disputes between states on water, some of which have gone on for decades, in a time-bound manner. There are currently five tribunals hearing disputes between states on the sharing of river water.

The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation has finalised the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, after incorporating a majority of the recommendations made by a parliamentary panel. The bill, which seeks to amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2017 and subsequently referred to the parliamentary standing committee.

India has 20 major inter-state river basins and states have often sparred over the sharing of water. Some of these disputes have been going on for years. For instance, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been fighting over sharing water from the Cauvery for 27 years.

The revised bill proposes that a four member panel comprising the Prime Minister or his nominee, the chief justice of India (CJI) or his nominee (a judge from the Supreme Court), the leader of opposition and the water resources minister will select the chairperson, vice chairperson and up to six members of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal. The original bill had proposed that the CJI would make these appointments.